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Thursday, December 3, 2015

A Comparison of Two Walkers

I have two different walkers that help make life a little easier for me. Their names are Henry and Cordell. Today I would like to show you the two walkers and the features I like and dislike about them. I hope this information will be helpful for those of you who may need to purchase a walker.

I shared my walkers' names a few weeks ago. For those of you who are wondering how Cordell got his name, the short answer is that Cordell is Walker's first name on the television show, "Walker, Texas Ranger." It's totally cheesy, but it makes me smile. :) Plus, I really like the name Cordell. You can read the longer story of how I named my walkers in this instagram comment thread.

In this post I will refer to the walkers as Henry and Cordell. Henry was made by Invacare. I do not remember which company made Cordell, but if you are looking for a walker like Cordell, there are numerous walkers on the market that are very similar.

The walker on the left is my travel walker, Henry. Earlier this year I needed to purchase a walker that would be easy to bring along on The Great Adventure. I found this Invacare Rollite Rollator Walker on Amazon for a good price, and it worked very well for me on our trip.

The walker on the right is Cordell. This is the walker that I use in my home every day. Cordell makes daily life easier, and I am so grateful to have this walker! Cordell helps with balance and support when I walk, provides support when I need to stand up from a chair or from the floor, provides a seat wherever I am, and enables me to carry things around the house by using the seat like a tray.

For me, Cordell is the most comfortable of the two walkers. The seat is slightly cushioned. The curved and padded backrest is more supportive and comfortable. The wheels roll smoothly, and the basket in Cordell is very handy.

The nice thing about Henry is that he folds well for travelling. It was easy to fit him in the van along with my wheelchair and all of our suitcases for the long trip. Cordell doesn't fold very flat, so it is difficult to fit him into a van full of suitcases, food, and other medical supplies.

The other thing that is very helpful about Henry is the way the seat lifts up, making room for a person stand in between the handles. It allows for much more support when walking.

Henry is a more sturdy walker, and he can hold up to 300 pounds. Cordell's weight limit is 250 pounds. Although I am nowhere near the weight limits, I can tell a difference in the sturdiness. Henry is much sturdier.

The biggest downside to Henry is his width. At the widest part, Henry is 27 1/2 inches wide. Cordell is 24 1/4 inches wide at the widest part. Three inches doesn't seem like much, but when you're talking about going through doorways or tight spaces in a house, three inches makes a big difference. It is hard to get around my house with Henry because he is so wide. I bump into doorways easily with Henry. There is a tight space in our kitchen between the refrigerator and the kitchen table, and I can walk through it with Cordell, but I don't fit through with Henry. But that's fine, because Henry is just for travelling.

Both walkers have their pros and cons. Cordell is great for in my home, and Henry is great for travelling. Both fit different needs for me, and I am thankful to have Henry and Cordell whenever I need them!

Do you use a walker at home? What type of walker do you have? In what way does your walker help you?